A vaccination misinformation awareness campaign has launched across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. The campaign includes ads on Meta and YouTube and a distribution of campaign materials to schools, colleges, family hubs and other community venues. The materials include factsheets, posters, a link to a myth-busting podcast and a dedicated webpage with tips on spotting misinformation online.

Our new webpage links to further vaccine information and provides advice and tips on spotting misinformation. A podcast featuring a member of the community and NHS clinicians helps to provide truth and facts as they discuss some of the rumours and myths surrounding vaccines. You can watch and listen here. 

Two vaccination case studies have been brought to life with animation. The short stories show examples of how vaccinations are viewed and taken in the community as we strive to provide vaccinations to our local populations. You can watch the animations here: True Stories: Vaccinations – Ayesha  True Stories: Vaccinations – Alicia

The ICB’s cancer awareness bus tour took place through March and into April. Travelling to 15 different towns across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, the local NHS cancer team invited local people to come and have a chat about cancer. The team gave information on the different types of cancer, who is at risk, what the different symptoms are, and what different NHS cancer screening programmes are available to help detect cancer early. Across the 15 days the team spoke to a whopping 5,866 people. The team was also often joined by colleagues from other partner organisations to give other help and advice where required.

Everyone Health also joined the team to offer the public free health checks and more than 150 people took this opportunity and received a health check. This initiative gave people the chance to ask questions, improve their knowledge and know what symptoms to look out for, which can ultimately help to save lives.   We hope to be able to run this awareness tour again in 2025/26 and will include information in this newsletter, as well as on our website and social media. 

A new potentially life-saving test to help identify heart problems in newborn babies has been introduced at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM). All babies born at the Royal Stoke University Hospital are now being offered oxygen saturation screening which can identify critical congenital heart disease before they become unwell. The quick and painless test, known as pulse oximetry screening, is also being rolled out across UHNM’s community midwifery teams for expectant mothers who choose to give birth at home.  Read more.

A UHNM oral health project has welcomed a Government scheme to help children aged between three and five years old to develop positive brushing habits. Children in the most deprived areas of England will get access to a programme to help protect them from tooth decay. The most common reason children aged five to nine being are admitted to hospital is to have treatment for decayed teeth. The scheme will help tackle levels of poor health by ensuring they get support to learn positive habits and prevent tooth decay in turn avoiding related illness and poor health later in life. Read more.

Anyone across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent can now get urgent mental health support, 24/7, by calling 111 and selecting the mental health option.

The new service, which has been rolled out across England, means that trained mental health professionals will guide callers through the next steps most appropriate for them, including organising face-to-face community support. Read more.

More than 700 medical items have been recycled over the last 12 months thanks to a new project, run by Staffordshire County Council and charity Grace Cares. The project allows people to donate unwanted items at 12 collection points across Staffordshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). Items include things like walkers and commodes.  The charity then sells the donated items at less than half the market price, making them accessible to individuals who might otherwise struggle to afford them. Read more.

Restorative Justice is about bringing people
together affected by crime and those responsible.
Fostering understanding, accountability and
positive change. This service is for anyone affected by crime, whether you’re the person harmed, the one
responsible, or part of the wider community. The process is voluntary, safe, and guided by trained professionals. If you’re interested in learning more or taking part follow this link to find out more.

Lifesaving bleed kits have been installed in six locations across Cannock Chase. The new cabinets, which are stocked with essential bleed control equipment, can be found at Cannock, Pye Green, Hednesford and Norton Canes, and supplement existing bleed control provision across the district.

The kits are publicly accessible and designed to help save lives by enabling quick action in emergency situations where an individual is experiencing severe blood loss from violent incidents, traffic accidents, or other major injuries. You can find out more and view an interactive map here.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) is supporting a study evaluating the services and care that is provided by ambulance crews to people in the last year of their life. The study aims to understand the contribution played by ambulance services in these situations and identify where improvements could be beneficial. The researchers would like to interview people who have had an ambulance call out in recent months, are 18 or older, living in their own home and in the last year of life; or a current or bereaved carer for someone in this situation. Read more.